Mavs players react to blowout win over Lakers

Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams and a Justin Anderson talk about the Mavericks 13th straight win over the Lakers. Anderson led all scorers with 19 points and seven players scored in double figures for Dallas.

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Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams and a Justin Anderson talk about the Mavericks 13th straight win over the Lakers. Anderson led all scorers with 19 points and seven players scored in double figures for Dallas.

You’ve got to point to our defense. ... They had 11 points in the second quarter ....

Mavericks guard Deron Williams

The Mavs had won three consecutive games before blowing late leads in losses Thursday to Miami (99-95) and Friday to Utah (112-107 in overtime).

“You’ve got to point to our defense,” said Deron Williams, who contributed 13 points and a game-high eight assists, of Sunday’s win. “In that second quarter I thought we did a great job defensively, setting the tone and setting the tempo.

“It created a lot of offense off the turnovers, and then just getting out and running. They had 11 points in the second quarter, so our defense got us going.”

Overall, the victory was the most points the Mavs scored this season, the fewest they’ve allowed and their third-highest margin of victory in franchise history.

It was also the 13th straight time the Mavs have beaten the Lakers, their longest active winning streak against any team.

Beat writer Dwain Price breaks down the significance of the last six games and previews Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks. New York comes to American Airlines Center to take on the Mavericks Wednesday.

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“We had a good day and they struggled,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “I think we had something to do with their struggles.

“We did some good things, we rebounded petty well and the ball was going in the basket. On days like today it looks easy, but it’s not.”

13 Consecutive victories for the Mavericks over the Lakers, who were once Dallas’ biggest nemesis.

It sure looked easy as the Mavs converted 17 of 39 shots from 3-point range and never let up.

The Mavs were so dominant that they built their lead to as high as 53 points — 122-69 after a layup from Pierre Jackson with 2:49 left in the game.

The only blemish for the Mavs came with 1:16 remaining in the first half when guard Wesley Matthews hobbled off the court and into the locker room with a strained right hip. Matthews, who scored 13 points in 14 minutes, said he plans to play against the Knicks.

“It’s not considered serious,” Carlisle said of Matthews’ injury. “I don’t expect him to miss Wednesday.

“He said he’s OK — just a little bit tight.”

In all, the Mavs had seven players score 10 or more points. Justin Anderson came off the bench to score a career-high-tying 19 points, Seth Curry scored nine of his 14 points in the first quarter, Dirk Nowitzki tossed in 13 points, and Pierre Jackson and Devin Harris added 10 points apiece.

“Right now we are in a spot where we have to dig ourselves out of a hole that we dug ourselves in earlier this season,” said Williams, who moved into 20th place on the NBA career assist list. “We have to be more aggressive on both sides of the floor and get some more wins.”